Forgive Me
by DogDemon-4-Life
Summary: A story of love and discovery. On permanent hiatus, so sorry!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I own nothing of Inuyasha, except for the DVD episodes

**Forgive Me: Chapter One (Revised)**

It was tragic, really. Kagome was obviously in love with Inuyasha. Inuyasha was supposed to realize this eventually, and then they would live "happily ever after," as Kagome says. But months passed and Inuyasha remained oblivious.

At the time, I didn't know how to feel. My heart ached for Kagome. Everyone said that they belonged together; for all their fights, it was plain to see that they cared deeply about each other. I secretly always envisioned them married in a village somewhere, with a hoard of rambunctious, blue-eyed children.

There were times, though, when I would catch myself imagining that it was me Inuyasha married, that I was the one he loved. These wicked thoughts left me trembling with guilt and self-loathing. How dare I have feelings for a man my best friend loved?

My loyalties were torn between Kagome and Inuyasha, but in the end, I decided that I was a friend first and a lover second. Ironically, it was because of this that I could understand how Kagome felt. Her heartbreak and mine were one and the same.

Eventually though, the tears dried, and her heart began to mend. She laughed more often and her smiles were genuine.

Even little Shippo noticed the difference in Kagome.

**Flashback**

"Hey Kagome," Shippo said.

The young girl looked up and flashed him a broad smile.

"Yea, Shippo?"

He hesitated, then leapt into her arms and said, "I'm glad you're happy now. It's nice to see you smile again."

Satisfied, the adorable kitsune snuggled into her arms and fell asleep. At a loss for words, Kagome tucked him into her sleeping bag, careful not to wake Shippo.

Kagome stood up quietly and looked over at Sango. Without words, they gathered their things and went to take a bath. Miroku was performing an exorcism in a neighboring village, so they didn't have to worry about the lecher spying on them.

The girls became lost in their thoughts as they walked, their feet automatically knowing the way.

"Inuyasha is off 'checking for demons' again." Kagome mused. "Both Sango and I know that's a lie. The only demons he's going to find are in Kikyo's mouth. Trying not to gag, she turned her mind to other issues. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the hot spring.

As they were getting settled in, Kagome said, "Sango."

"Yeah?"

"Are you still in love with Miroku?"

"What!" Sango sputtered, "No, of course not! I would never fall in love with that letch! The man doesn't know the definition of the word faithful." She wrinkled her nose and added, "And he is much too… affectionate for my tastes."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by Kagome's voice.

"So how long have you loved Inuyasha?"

Sango felt her heart clench in dismay. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, gaze averted.

Don't lie to me Sango. I see the way that you look at him when you're sure no one is looking. And besides," she added, "I see the way you look at him when he leaves. You look at him like your heart is breaking… The way I used to look at him."

"I'm so sorry Kagome. Because of our friendship, I tried to keep myself from loving him, but I couldn't help it. I've never acted on it though, I swear."

Kagome embraced her. "Don't beat yourself up about it Sango, what could you have done? Love is a powerful force, whether we want it or not. And besides, Inuyasha is just a dear, dear friend."

Sango stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and joy in her normally calm brown eyes. "But, I thought…"

"That I loved him?"

"Well, yes. Everyone thinks so, really."

Sighing, Kagome said, "Well I used to love him, you know that. But honestly, how much can a girl take of being compared to someone else. Call me crazy, but I just couldn't stand waiting around for him to take me seriously as myself."

Seeing that Sango still doubted her, she added, "I promise you Sango, loving Inuyasha doesn't mean that you've betrayed me. He still has a place in my heart, its just no longer the one it used to be. I just want you to be happy. No matter what, you will always have my love and support."

A look of relief flashed across Sango's face. "Thank you, Kagome, for understanding," she said. The tears welled up in her eyes as Sango realized how much she owed this small, slip of a miko.

"Hey, us girls have to stick together," Kagome teased.

Laughing merrily, the two young women got dressed and headed back to camp.

**End of Chapter**


	2. Chapter 2

**Duzzie: **Thanks, but don't be so sure about that pairing of yours, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Muwahahaha!!!

**Ranmayuusuke930:** I will continue, and Sango will not always act that way, I can tell you that. She will kick ass!!!

**Banana Rum: **Tell me something I don't know already. And I liked that part too.

**Moonsiren06: **I glad for any advice you got. Lay it on me!!!!!!

**Aisu fenikkusu: **Short and to the point, I think I like you.

_A/N: Thank you to all of my readers! And sorry if the chapter isn't long enough!_

**Forgive Me: Chapter Two**

The girls were coming back from their bath, and they were both unusually quiet. Neither of them really paid attention to their surroundings, they were so lost in thought.

So they were a bit startled when they heard a loud crashing sound coming from the direction of their campsite.

"Goddammitt!" they heard a loud and pissed off voice say. "Where are they?"

Instantly, they both relaxed as they realized that Inuyasha must have come back from his 'visit' with Kikyo. Sango groaned inwardly. Now they would have to put up with his temper tantrum for the rest of the night.

Why did he always have to get so pissed off, he was the one sneaking behind their back and going to see Kikyo. She faltered a little in her step at that thought. She didn't want to see him, didn't want to see the guilt in his eyes as he made excuses.

But she couldn't let him know how she felt, so she would just have to grit her teeth and bear it. "And Kagome wonders why I always look like I'm in pain. It's because of that hanyou of mine," she thought ruefully.

As if on cue, Inuyasha jumped out of a tree in front of them and promptly started screeching at them. "Where the hell have you been?!! You guys are patheticallyweak. You shouldn't be out here all by yourselves."

"We can take care of ourselves just fine Inuyasha," Sango snapped coldly. Inuyasha looked surprised; it was usually Kagome that protested at the weakling insult. And what was up with that voice of hers? It sounded like she had been hanging out to much with Sesshoumaru.

At the thought of Sesshoumaru near Sango, he felt a slight surge of something akin to jealousy, but he dismissed it as a reaction to his bastard half-brother's name. Instead, he concentrated on the matter at hand.

"It doesn't matter; you can't just take off without telling me!"

At Inuyasha's comment, Sango felt likehitting him over the head with Hirakotsu. She opened her mouth to yell at him when Kagome beat her to it.

"Well if you weren't always sneaking off doing Kami-knows-what with Kikyo, then maybe you would have noticed that we were leaving in the first place!"

A silence fell, and Inuyasha looked absolutely shocked. Then he collected himself and replied half-heartedly, "I wasn't."

Kagome stood there a second in disbelief before saying, "Let's go Sango." Sango immediately began following her back to camp. But just as they left the clearing, she threw one last glance back at Inuyasha.

He was just standing there with his hair swaying gently in the wind. He didn't seem to register the fact that they were leaving, he just looked as if his world had come crashing down on him.

He probably had never intended on telling them about his visits to Kikyo. She turned away sadly at this thought, and walked out of the clearing. But if she had lingered just a little bit longer, she would have seen the tear glide down his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Forgive Me: Chapter Three**

Miroku came back to complete and utter chaos. And he didn't mean the running around and screaming kind of chaos. No, this was the kind of madness that was so bad, that you could feel it more than see or hear it.

And boy! Could Miroku ever feel the tension! It was like a spell had been placed upon the air, making it harder for him to breathe comfortably.

He took one look at Kagome's face, and knew that he would have his work cut out for him. Now don't get him wrong, Kagome was a very nice young lady, but she tended to get fired up very easily over some things.

But when she looked particularly pissed off (like she did now), it generally had to do with the same things.

1. Inuyasha getting into a fight when he was injured.

2. Inuyasha keeping her in the feudal era.

3. Inuyasha's visits with Kikyo

4. Or on "rare" occasions when he decided to express his "appreciation" for her beauty.

5. (Miroku still hasn't figured out why that gets her so mad)

coughcough. However, since he hasn't been with the group recently, it must have something to do with Inuyasha.

"So," Miroku thought, "I guess it's time to start investigating. Hmm, better start with Sango, she might reveal something." With that in mind, Miroku began to approach the taijya, who was currently polishing her hiraikotsu furiously, despite being in her nicest kimono.

"My dear Sango," he began, "may I have the pleasure of sitting here?"

Sango looked at him suspiciously before nodding curtly. "Fine, but if your hand strays..." She let the threat hang in the air menacingly.

Miroku held up his hands as if to prove his intentions were innocent. "I merely wished to know what has gotten Kagome and you so upset that the camp should be positively silent, save for young Shippo's breathing over there."

Sango remained voiceless for a long time, her long tresses shielding her emotions. "She almost looks like she's meditating," Miroku though absently, before coming back to reality.

After a good minute of silence, the demon slayer had finally steeled the emotions far enough from her voice so as to sound detached.

"Oh it's nothing, Kagome and Inuyasha just got into another fight. You know, the usual 'You can't be out there alone, you can't protect yourself' from Inuyasha, and the standard 'Well if you weren't off with Kikyo...' from Kagome. And then here we are.

"What, no 'sits' (courtesy of Kagome)?" the monk asked incredulously.

"Nope," Sango replied in a bored voice, deciding not to mention the some odd 'sits' that Inuyasha got five minutes after they left the clearing.

"Hmm," Miroku contemplated, "she's getting better at not using that."

"She's maturing," said Sango, defensively, "she's still a child you know, and she is bound to make mistakes every now and then."

"Like she did with Inuyasha," Miroku pointed out, oblivious to the severely pained look that flashed through Sango's already tormented eyes at the mention of Kagome's past crush on Inuyasha, and how miserably it had failed.

It was too painful to think that, that would be her years later. Alone, and heartbroken about a love that was doomed from the start. She couldn't stand it, so she pushed that thought back into the deepest recesses of her mind and heart.

Meanwhile, Miroku had noticed her preoccupation, and began to inch his hand ever so slightly towards Sango's astounding ass. He just couldn't help it, she was just so, so, so perfect. She was strong and independent, and yet kind and compassionate. He didn't love her, but if he had been the marring type of man, he would have asked her a long time ago. She would make a fine wife for even a demon lord in his opinion.

By this time, his fingers were hovering a mere inch away from their target. And with only the slightest sliver of fear at her retaliation, he allowed his hands to roam over the backside of her blood red summer kimono. Big mistake.

Sango was instantly snapped out of her reverie. She was going to **kill** the monk this time. Not only was it repulsing and morally degrading to her, but she had been in the middle of a wonderful fantasy involving her and Inuyasha, **and he interrupted it!**

As soon as she calmly began to pick up her hiraikotsu, Miroku knew that he was dead meat. "Oh shit!" he cursed in a most unholy manner. "Buddha, if you are listening, I repent for all my sins, and if I die today then I pray that my soul will be reincarnated into a lovely young woman's body."

"Pervert..."

**End Chapter**

**Banana Rum- **whew! That's a mouthful! But I will try my hardest to fulfill some of the things

mentioned in your lengthy review. P.S. Sesshomaru will appear later on!

**xSakuraTorax****-**Just make sure that you keep on reading this pairing my friend! It's the best!

**DolphinBrat09- **I'm glad you think so, sorry for not updating. I hate writer's block! xP

**Nightfall2525- **Interesting idea. Oh, and Kagome's "lover" won't be revealed until later on.

**Mornings Light- **Thank you very much. Yeah! I have continued!

**Atropa13-** I do, and gracias for the complimento!

**Eira Nae-** I will. And I'll try to keep the chapters typo free, but you never know!

**I am sorry for the long wait, but I had some writer's block! **

**Flames are accepted, but not welcome. Constructive criticism is more useful. **

**Thank you, and REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Forgive Me: Chapter Four**

While Sango and Miroku fought, Kagome watched them, silently amused.

"I swear," she thought, "those two will never stop arguing. They are like Inuyasha and Shippo, fighting is their way of expressing their friendship. Still, it would be nicer if he didn't have to use his hands all of the time." Kagome shook her head. "That'll be the day."

Kagome sighed, and decided to go for a walk to clear her head. Shippo chose that exact moment to wake up from his catnap. So when he asked to come along, she said ok.

"Sango, don't kill the monk while we're gone okay?" Kagome yelled as they went off.

"I can't make any promises," Sango muttered. Beneath her, Miroku whimpered in pain.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kagome and Shippo were having a grand time by themselves. They were trying to see who could make the most ridiculous face, but they couldn't tell who was winning. Both of them were laughing hysterically over the image that Shippo had conjured up: Inuyasha with a bunch of little pigtails. When they finally calmed down, 'Inuyasha' was the winner. 

By this time, they had come to a stop next to a small lake. Shippo began to immediately slurp up as much water as he could, and Kagome soon followed the suit. They sat there for a long time, just looking out at the horizon, both seemingly deep in thought.

"Hey Shippo," Kagome said after a while.

"Yeah Kagome?" he replied.

"You know how Inuyasha is always disappearing right? Well, has he ever mentioned or hinted to you about where he goes off to?"

"No, but I don't think that he sees Kikyo that much," Shippo said, guessing correctly that Kagome was, in fact, talking about the dead priestess.

"How can you tell?" she asked curiously.

"Well, whenever he comes back from wherever he goes, he always smells like life and flowers. But Kikyo's smell has just the hint of death around it."

"Hmmm, I'm going to have to tell Sango about that," Kagome mused happily.

"You know what the worst thing about Kikyo's scent is though?" Shippo said offhandly. "It is always intertwined with the smell of sorrow." He paused there for a moment, and then went on to say, "That's what Sango smells like too."

They both fell silent at that remark, but only Kagome was affected by the seriousness of it. Shippo, although very intelligent for a child, was still a child nonetheless.

As if to prove her right, Shippo threw off his somber thoughts with a shake of his head, and lept up to look for something fun to do. With a small sigh, Kagome stood up to join him, as she put aside her worries to think about another day.

**End of Chapter**

**Miko of Jades- **Don't worry, you don't have to say anything useful, just writing me something is proof that you care about me!' sniff 'waaaaahh! (cries for joy) Anyways, thanks for the review!

**Addicted- **I know, I don't know how he survives Sango's beatings. Oh, and **InuSan rocks!**

**Duzzie- **Lol, I wouldn't be with Miroku if anybody payed me to!

**A/N:** Disclaimer in chapter 1 is good for the rest of the story! (I'm too lazy to type it again)

**P.S. **Sorry the chapter is so short, but it just seemed like a good place to stop it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Forgive Me: Chapter Five**

The next day, Inuyasha and company found themselves hunting once again for the fragments of the Shikon jewel. High above the ground, and riding astride of Kilala, Sango took a deep, refreshing breath. It had been nice to have a short break from shard-hunting, but deep in her heart, she knew that she just loved traveling. There was something about the air, the sights, and the wind, that gave her a rush of exhilaration.

But journeying wasn't the only thing that sped up the beat of her normally steady heart. Inuyasha seemed to do that to her as easily as picking up the tetsusaiga. All he had to do was turn his eyes in her direction, and her heart skipped a beat.

His eyes... They weren't his best feature, but to Sango, they were his most memorable. They had this layer of stoniness that served as his protection from the world. And yet, those few that had come to know him could easily see through his facade. She thanked Kami above that she was one of those people.

Still, it hurt her emotionally every time that she peeled away that layer, because the expressions in his eyes were almost too much to bear.

There was just so much pain and loneliness that lingered in them, not to mention heartbreak, and a distrust of all humans and demons. He kept people at arms' length, but it was understandable, considering what he had gone through, living his life as an outsider, as a hanyou.

Sango felt all these emotions whenever that she looked into those unforgettable eyes of his, and it shot her straight to the heart each time. Her heart ached for what he had gone through, and for what he was still going through today. She wanted to be there for him, and face his problems side-by-side.

"But to do this, Sango, you have to stop looking backwards at his past." She chastised herself. "You **must **stop pitying Inuyasha for what happened during his childhood. I cannot change it, and I can't just forget about it. I just have to accept it as part of who he is," Sango decided. "Besides, it is because of those events that Inuyasha was molded into the person that he is today."

This seemed to bring Sango out of her stupor, and she floated gently back down to reality. What she discovered though, is that, at the moment, reality sucked.

* * *

When Sango came back down to Earth, she discovered that Miroku was staring at her in a most peculiar manner. He looked like a fish, with his eyeballs opened as far as they could go, and his mouth formed an almost perfect circle. By the time she noticed that he was quivering, Sango began to worry about the monk's health (and sanity).

"Miroku," she asked tentatively. "Are you alright?" The question merely gained her another goggling look from him.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled as she steered Kilala towards the ground.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Something is wrong with houshi-sama!" By this time, they were on land once again, and Inuyasha had reached them, with Kagome on his back. Sango felt a moment's jealousy, but it was pushed aside by her concern for the monk. She had to do something, but first, she needed to figure out what was wrong.

"Miroku," she said to his zoned out body that was currently leaning against a large rock. There was no reaction from him, so she tried again.

"Miroku," she pleaded, slightly louder this time. No response. Sango decided to try one last time, and took a deep breath.

"MIROKU!" she hollered right into his ears.

This proved to get the desired result, as the monk jumped up with a start. His expression was still the same, only this time, he seemed a bit more lucid. Quite suddenly, he began to prostrate himself before Sango and was mumbling odd phrases such as:

"Didn't mean it." "Don't kill me." and "Spare my life oh mighty one."

The last one got a few raised eyebrows, but other than that, nobody had a clue as to what the heck Miroku was talking about. Or at least, that's what they thought...

Because, all of a sudden, Shippo decided to speak up!

**End of Chapter**

**Duzzie- **No, thank **you** for your great review!

**xSakura Torax- **I can't wait either! It'll be fun to write!

**Lil mutt face grl- **I know, it cracks me **up**!

**Miko-of-Jades- (**blushes) Thanks. Wow, you must really love me! 2 reviews in 1 day!

**Thank you to all of my reviewers!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Forgive Me: Chapter 6**

Everyone was paying attention to Shippo, because they were very anxious to find out what had happened to Miroku that had shaken him up this badly. Shippo, on the other hand, was enjoying all the interest that the gang was showing in him for once. But he didn't want to keep them waiting, so he hurriedly began to tell them what happened.

"Well I was on Kagome's shoulders, hitching a ride on Inuyasha, and a I was minding my own business, just enjoying the nice, cool breeze and-"

"Just get to the point already fox," Inuyasha sneered impatiently.

"I'm the one telling the story here, so you can just shut up Inuyasha!" Shippo whined. This remark earned him a whack on the head, courtesy of the hanyou himself.

"Ow! That hurt you big dummy!" he shouted. To Kagome he added, "I just wanted to tell the story," in a woe-is-me voice. When this got Inuyasha a 'sit', Shippo was very pleased with himself. "That'll teach him to hit the Almighty Shippo! Muahahaha!" he thought gleefully.

"Thank you Kagome," interjected Sango, "But let's get on with the story Shippo."

"Yes, lets," replied Kagome.

"Well," began Shippo, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." he glared at Inuyasha. "I was riding with Kagome, and I just happened to look back towards Kilala. I was trying to see if she was still keeping up with us, because she looked a little tired yesterday, and I was worried. Anyways, she was doing just fine, so I decided to go talk to her instead. And then it happened." at this, he paused for a second.

"I had just reached Kilala, and I was jumping on to her head. But in mid-air, I saw something that was a common sight for everyone here." By this time, even Inuyasha was hanging onto Shippo's every word, not that he would show it. "Miroku was groping Sango." He held up his paw to stop anybody from asking questions. "But that's not the disturbing part about this tale. The worst part is……" Shippo waited for a moment for dramatic effect, "that Sango didn't do a single thing about it. She just kept sitting there, and her eyes were unfocused, like she was in deep thought. Right away, Miroku began to freak out, because he had never been ignored before. He kept saying something about 'My manhood is ruined', whatever that means." Shippo remarked offhandedly.

This of course caused Kagome to flip out. "When that monk wakes up he is going to get the worst beating of his life, I'm going to wring his scrawny, little neck!" She was furious at Miroku, and it took her about an hour to finally calm down enough to talk.

In the meantime, Sango was just sitting in a corner, staring off into space. She felt dirty, and ashamed that she hadn't noticed that a man was violating her. She tried to convince herself that it was because she was so used to him touching her, that she just didn't pay attention to it.

But somehow, she kept thinking that it was her fault. "I'm no better than a whore, letting men touch me without caring." She thought bitterly. "Speaking of men though, I know a certain man that I have to pay a visit to." She stood up, and walked over to where Miroku was seated. He had recovered, but was still skittish around his "victim".

Sango sat down in front of the monk. To any passerby, she would appear to have her emotions under complete control. But if you looked closely, you could see the way her fists were clenched, and how tightly her lips were pressed together. All were classic signs of a pissed off woman. And any moron with half a brain knows that hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

"I am sooo dead," Miroku moaned to himself.

Sango sat there for a good while before finally speaking to Miroku. But even then, she made no eye contact with him whatsoever. "Why Miroku?" she asked softly.

"Why what?" he replied guiltily.

"Don't give me that bullshit", Sango spat, "I'm talking about you touching me when I wasn't even paying attention! I'm talking about you violating me and making me feel as dirty as a prostitute! What is the difference between you and a fucking rapist? I'll tell you what! There is none! You are just as much of a dirty, low down, piece of trash as they are!" At this point, Miroku tried to say something in his own defense, but Sango cut him off.

"Well guess what, Miroku. I've had it! I'm so sick of it all. Sick of you and sick of your goddamn perversity! Oh, and guess what, I'm definitely sick of you grabbing my ass!" She stood there a moment before shoving hiraikotsu as hard as she could into his crotch. Satisfied that he would be in pain for a _long_ time, she calmly turned around and walked out of the clearing, as calmly as she could.

Kagome hurried over to her and tried to give her comfort, but Sango shook her head. Kagome knew that she wanted to be alone, and respected her wishes by backing off. Sango smiled gratefully at her for understanding, and quickly left the clearing. She left behind an injured monk, a not-so-naïve kitsune, and her best friend, but the love of her life followed her, refusing to just let her go.

**End of Chapter**

**Ranmayuusuke- **Well, I used your advice, and I think I like this better!

**DolphinBrat09- **Whoa! Three reviews in a row! You're my kind of reader! Keep it up! Oh, and don't worry about your writer's block. Just let yourself dose off, and think of anything. Even if the idea isn't about InuSan, you can just modify it to fit your needs!

**ShadowRose950- **I thank you very much my lovely reviewer!


	7. Chapter 7

**Forgive Me: Chapter Seven**

Sango had no idea where she was running to, but she knew that she had to keep going. She was tired of being the brave and strong warrior. All she wanted was to be a little girl again. At least when she was a child she could have found comfort in her father's loving arms. He always made her hurts go away. At the thought of her father, the tears Sango had been holding back came crashing down her face, as she slid to the floor.

And just like that, the taijya melted away, and Sango became the heartbroken young woman that she was. No more barriers or pretenses, this was the real Sango in all her glory. This was a grieving daughter, as well as a woman drowning in her own sorrow.

But right when she began to feel that she would never come back up alive, she was saved by an unknown face.

A pair of arms encircled her waist, and Sango felt as if she could breathe again. She lifted her head up to her savior, and was startled to see Inuyasha's worried eyes looking down at her.

He didn't say anything, just looked sadly at her, as if he understood what she felt. Sango realized with a jolt that he probably _did_ know. After all, he was orphaned at an early age, much earlier than her. At least her father was still alive to protect her until she could take care of herself.

Inuyasha, on the other hand had to fend for himself when he was just a child, with no training of his demon abilities. She felt almost ashamed that she should be so weak, when Inuyasha had gone through so much more than she had.

But Sango couldn't help it; she still felt an immense melancholy at her family's death. And pushing that sorrow away for so long was beginning to take its toll on her. She felt as if her energy was being sucked away as time went by. Her head dropped back down to his sympathetic shoulder, and she drew strength from its calming warmth.

"Oh Inuyasha," Sango murmured. "I'm so tired of this. I don't think I can deal with the sadness anymore, it's too hard."

"Hey," he said firmly. "Don't forget that I'm here if you need me."

When Sango looked up at him with her tear-stained eyes, Inuyasha hastily added, "Not to mention, you've got Shippo and Kagome as well." In a more soothing tone of voice he said, "We'll be right by your side if you ever need us. You have friends Sango, and you should never forget that."

Sango smiled thankfully at Inuyasha for understanding her troubles and her insecurities. It wasn't every day that she got to see this side of Inuyasha. The only other person that he had been this tender to was Kikyo.

Her heart skipped a beat at that realization. "Could he possibly have some amount of feelings for me?" She mused. "I mean, I don't remember Kagome ever telling me about Inuyasha acting this way." Sango decided that it was too soon to tell, and that she shouldn't get her hopes up.

"For now," she vowed. "I'll just be a friend. But some day, I'll be more."

Sango sighed, and got up off of the floor. If she could have her way, she would have stayed there forever in his arms, surrounded by his enchanting scent. Who would have thought that the best smell she'd ever encounter would belong to that of the man that had captured her heart?

A year ago, she would have scoffed at the mere idea of being in love with someone. She never understoodwhy any sane woman could tie herself down to be with a man, the very thought made her shudder.

Now that she had experienced love for herself though, she could appreciate the impact of it on a person's priorities. She would jump at the chance to be with Inuyasha, no matter what the price. That's just what being in love with someone will do to you.

"Sango," Inuyasha spoke up quietly. "Are you ready to go back now?"

She nodded silently, and began to walk back to camp. As she turned to go though, she was stopped by Inuyasha's hand on her arm. When she looked back, Inuyasha was motioning for her to get on his back. Sango's breath caught in her throat, but she shakily climbed on. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for her, and she wasn't going topass it up.

"Hold on tight." Was all the warning Inuyasha gave her before he took sprung into the air. Sango was caught off guard at the thrill she got from this sudden flight. No amount of riding on Kilala could prepare her for this. They were so high up that Sango was astounded by the view. It was breathtaking to behold. Usually when she was on Kilala, she paid no attention to the scenery, either because it was in battle, or because she was keeping an eye on the monk's hands.

Now though, all Sango had to do was watch. She saw so many new and exciting sights that she was practically giddy. She actually had to stop herself from throwing her head back and laughing out of sheer ecstasy. As it was, a small giggle of childish pleasure escaped through her lips. Inuyasha seemed a bit startled at Sango's outburst, but thankfully, didn't mentionsay anything about it. When he finally put her down just outside the campsite though, a small blush adorned her cheeks.

"What is it about Inuyasha that makes me feel like an inexperienced child all over again?" She asked herself. "It must have something to do with his gruff way of showing tenderness or kindness, it's just so endearing." In the meantime, the hanyou in question was thinking the same thing.

"Why is it that Sango makes me the tiniest bit nervous whenever I'm around her?" thought Inuyasha. "I mean sure, she is beautiful, and she is a hell of a fighter, but does that really mean that I should be all tensed up when I'm near her?"

By this time, the taijya and the half-demon have reached the camp, where they were greeted heartily by everyone else. They said hello in returnbeforethey sneaked a glance at the other.

That night, they bothwent to bed with a smile.

**End of Chapter**

**xSakuraTorax- **I'm glad you do, and I'm glad you review! (that rhymes!)

**Miko-of-Jades- **That's a good theory. Isn't he just the cutest thing?

**DolphinBrat09- **Yeah, it was a side-splitter. Oh, and your welcome!

**FirePheonix009- **I completely agree with you!

**Miko- **Oh don't worry, I'll convert you if it's the last thing that I do!

**Thank you to all of my reviewers!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Forgive Me: Chapter Eight**

Inuyasha woke up the next morning feeling different than his normally grumpy self. He couldn't quite put a name to what he was feeling though.

He had this warmth growing in the pit of his stomach, as if Kilala had spent the night curled up on it. But this heat was different; it gave him a sense of security that seemed foreign to him.

All of a sudden, it came to Inuyasha what this emotion was: contentment. This was something that he was _not _used to feeling, not since his mother had passed away.

His mother….. She was the one that made him happy, that made him feel like he was loved. Inuyasha didn't know what he would have done if his mother hadn't been there to protect him for as long as she had. She always managed to make his fears melt away with a simple embrace. He really missed her.

"If I had known how little time I had with her, I would have asked for a lot more hugs." Inuyasha thought wistfully to himself.

Inuyasha sighed, his trip down memory lane putting a damper on his once carefree mood. "Mother," he called silently in his mind. "If you can hear me from up there, I just want you to know that I miss you, and I wish you were here."

And that's how Sango found him, just gazing off into space. He didn't say anything. He just sat up there on his branch and looked out onto the horizon. She just couldn't bring herself to break the quiet, so she stood there, watching the same view, but seeing a different world.

"The half-demon and the demon-slayer," she thought cynically. "My, what a mismatched pair." Sango forced down a bitter laugh at that pessimistic attitude.

"So if I was born to kill and taught to hate demons, and he is but half of one, should I condemn him as a whole?" mused Sango. "Since demons are stronger than humans, wouldn't their immorality corrupt the weaker one's soul?"

She sighed, and tried not to think such depressing things. It was bad enough that other people would doom their relationship. Now she had to go and find reasons _not _to be with him.

"I love him," Sango told herself firmly. "That's all that matters." This seemed to calm her down, and her spirits rose a little. All at once, Sango remembered why she had come to him in the first place.

"Inuyasha," she called quietly. Her voice caused Inuyasha's ears to twitch slightly, and he peered down at her expectantly.

"What is it?" Inuyasha called. Sango's heart went out to him at the sound of his voice. It sounded so weary, as if he was tired of the world.

"Sango?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

On the inside, Sango cursed herself for her lapse of attention. But to the outside world, she appeared to be perfectly unfazed.

"Right, I came down here to tell you that Kagome has sensed a few jewel shards north of us. She thought you might want to know."

"Well, then I guess we'd better get going." Inuyasha said dully. At the moment, that was the last thing that he wanted to do. He just wished that time would stop, and that none of this had ever happened. No Kikyo, no Shikon jewel, and no betrayal. "But if that hadn't happened, then I never would have met any of them." He acknowledged. "I wouldn't have known who Kagome, Shippo, Miroku or Sango were."

Inuyasha suddenly realized just how much he had become accustomed to the gang. He couldn't imagine a life without them anymore. "Who would I miss the most?" he wondered. "They all have their good and bad sides. Miroku is a decent fighter, but he is a total perv. Shippo is _really _annoying, but he's a good kid. Kagome... Well Kagome is a good shard-finder, but she can be a real twit sometimes." As he went down the list in his head, he finally came to Sango.

"And then there's Sango. She's had some hard times, man. You can just see it in her eyes. You can see the sadness and guilt that she has. But if you look hard enough, you can just barely see hope and love that's been pushed to the back of her heart. We're more alike than she realizes.

Both of us are orphans, but we never shed the tears. We're both stronger than what people would expect of us. And," he thought sadly, "We both have some one close to us that is still haunting the land of the living."

Inuyasha could instantly picture Kikyo's face in his head, right down to her look of loathing that she reserved for him. "Why can't she just let me be?" moaned Inuyasha. "If she hates me so much, why does she keep coming back? I know that I have to keep my promise, but I'm a different person than the Inuyasha that made that oath. I have friends, and something to live for."

These ideas only served to bring down his mood even more. His shoulders seemed to grow heavier with every step he took. It felt like the world was on his shoulders. It got so bad, that Sango began to notice that something was amiss.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Sango inquired. "You seem to be depressed."

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing." He sighed. "I've just been thinking about some things." They fell silent for a while before Sango spoke up.

"What kind of things?"

"I said it was nothing, okay!" he yelled unconvincingly.

San gave him a knowing look before saying, "You know, whenever you say that it's nothing, it is usually pretty important." She smiled wistfully. "That's what my mother used to say when I wouldn't tell her about my problems." Her eyes seemed to get this faraway look in them for a split second. But as soon as Inuyasha saw it, it disappeared, and Sango's eyes were guarded once more.

"But it's okay if you don't want to talk to me about it." She smiled, but Inuyasha could tell that it was forced. It was the same thing with the silence that followed; it was uncomfortable and full of tension.

Finally, Inuyasha couldn't stand it anymore. There was something about this quiet that got under his skin. It was the same kind of hush that would fall over his mother's guests when they discovered that he was a hanyou. Or, as they liked to put it: "A half-breed." Inuyasha thought bitterly. "I was nothing but a filthy abomination that was spawned from a forbidden relationship."

That's why he couldn't bear it if the silence continued for much longer. It would take him back to a time when he was just a child shunned from the rest of the world. "Don't let her walk away!" Inuyasha's head screamed frantically at him. "She'll leave you alone just like your mom did!"

His panic was so great, that he practically ran to catch up to Sango. When he finally got to her, he was slightly tired. "Look," he said breathlessly. "It's not that I don't trust you." At this point, Inuyasha struggled to find the right words.

"It's just that... I've had to fight against the whole world just to get to where I am today. And to survive, I had to get used to being on my own. So I never got much practice at talking and opening up to people." They walked side-by-side for a few minutes before Inuyasha spoke once again.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say, is that even though I don't spill my guts to you, it doesn't mean that I can't confide in you. It's just that I don't know how. But if you can't deal with it, then I guess I'll just have to give up." He started to walk away, but Sango grabbed his haori sleeve to keep him from leaving. When he turned back to look at her, she smiled wryly.

"I guess I'll just have to stick around for a while then," she said softly. Inuyasha smiled knowingly. Even though she kept her face down, he could just barely see the slight blush that adorned her cheeks. "Sango should smile more often," he thought casually.

Out loud though, he said, "Come on, the others are waiting for us." And as they reached the top of the hill, Sango and Inuyasha could see them waving at the bottom. They laughed, and began to race down the slope in a childish manner.

And even as he let Sango win, Inuyasha looked around at his friends, and was content once again.

**End of Chapter**

**DolphinBrat09- **I read your story, and it has good potential.

**Miko-Of-Jades- **Thank you, I thought so too.

**Kiranta**- Hahahaha! Heel Sesshy! Heel!

**Sesshy'zgurl**- Yeah, a cliffie!

**Sesshy'zgurl**- You shall see, you shall see.

**Miko102**- Bring it on you weakling!

**Raven's** **Firefly**- I rather like this pace myself. (Go InuSan!)

**The Na Kun**- Yes ma'am! (salutes) 

**Anna**- I cannot reveal my secrets! Muahahaha!

**Lori**- Awwww! Thank you! (sniffs)

**Sorry I took so long to update, my family was hogging the computer!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Forgive Me: Chapter Nine**

Sango was no stranger to nightmares. There was once a time when she would have them every night, and she would wake up hysterical, and on the verge of tears. It was around the time that she began her formal taijya training.

Back then, she would wake up, and remember absolutely nothing. If she even attempted to call the memory back to her, then she would experience an excruciating pain throughout the entirety of her body. Her current body might have been able to withstand the discomfort, but back then, it threatened to rip her delicate frame apart. Therefore, she very quickly learned not to try to recall these disturbing dreams.

As Sango grew older however, she began to retain more and more details of her late night visions. She almost wished that she had remained unaware of her nightmares. Because sometimes, the piercing light is harder to bear than the very darkness that it cuts through.

This was the case with her, for she discovered that her nightmares were constant. They never changed, and never faltered in their horrific nature. It began, and ended the same way.

Sango was always on the sidelines. She was always forced to be a witness, and was never allowed to interfere. Even if she tried (which she had no desire to do), her legs would not respond to her wishes. They would stay planted firmly in the ground.

It always began in a field near her old village. There was a faceless child standing on top of a hill, staring outward at some sight. Then, Sango's feet began to move wearily towards that child. Though she made a lot of noise, the young girl did not turn around.

She stood transfixed, and it almost seemed to Sango that she was paralyzed with fear. But then she felt a small droplet of water being blown onto her cheek by a gentle breeze. Her hand unconsciously rose up to touch her face. Whenit pulled away, she could see that tiny bead of water glittering in her calloused palm.

Sango's head turned to the girl that she stood beside. What she saw startled her; _the girl was crying. _Two thin trails of salt-water flowed freely down the grief-stricken child. And her eyes were brilliant with still more unshed tears.

Despite the fact that she was looking directly at the girl's face, it was merely a blur, with no recognizable features. But it didn't matter, for Sango remembered this place, and this setting. She realized that the child was her, and that this was one of her memories from long ago.

The recognition weighing heavily on her mind, Sango steeled herself for what was coming next. She turned in the direction that her younger self was facing, and was as troubled as she had been the very first time.

Sango could see now why she had been crying. In front of her was the bloodiest and most horrific battle that she had ever witnessed in her whole life.

Her own people were being slaughtered, as they formed a circled around a blurry figure. The stench of blood permeated the air, and the grass that had not been burned off was stained such a brilliant shade of crimson rust that it sickened her. And the band of taijya warriors continued to fight, despite the fact that their chances of victory were almost nonexistent.

The demon slayers fought courageously, and with a tremendous amount of skill, but they were severely outnumbered by the hoards of demons that they were combating. They just kept coming, and as with Naraku, there seemed to be no end to their numbers.

There was something about the way that they were swarming that was familiar as well. Sango pondered about that for a moment. All of her people appeared to be defending someone. The someone that stood in the middle of the circle perhaps? Sango felt angered that the lives of her friends and mentors were being wasted while they defended a person that was too cowardly to fight.

Her rage doubled when she caught sight of a lone warrior that was taking on many of the demons alone. All Sango needed to see was long, coal black hair, and a beautifully crafted katana, and she could recognize the mysterious figure.

_Mother... _She thought frantically. _Why? Why did you have to come? _Sango was no fool, and neither was her mother. They both knew that she would most likely perish on this very battlefield, and her heart ached with the thought. That is why she had been crying, because she wasn't able to help her live.

She wanted so badly to jump up and whisk her mother to a place where she would be safe from harm. But even if she could have moved her legs, Sango knew that her mother, Takase Hikari, would _never _permit her to take her away. For that would mean abandoning her colleagues; something Hikari felt was appalling.

And so, Sango had to watch her own flesh and blood to continue fighting a hopeless battle. She had promised herself that she would be strong and bear it, but she could not stop herself. When she saw the deadly sharp claws pf a demon begin to pierce her mother's back, she could not restrain herself. She cried out her mother's name, and it seemed to echo across the battle-field.

A shudder rippled through Sango's heart at the sight of her mother's porcelain skin being ripped apart by some unknown demon. She bolted down the hill, frantically running towards the woman that she owed everything to. But she was not alone.

Sango turned her head slightly to the side, and discovered that her younger self had also begun to dash in the battle's direction. Surprisingly, the child also turned, and looked Sango straight in the eye. Something unspoken passed between them, and they both appeared to have come to an agreement.

Just before they reached their mother's fallen body, the two merged together as one. So now, Sango was back in a child's body, and she was viewing the world through younger eyes. It did not matter that the twowere different in age, their hearts felt the same.

Sango had finally reached her mother. Oblivious to the conflict that surrounded her, she knelt beside Hikari in tears.

"Mother," She sobbed. "Mother, I'll help you. I'll take you to the village, and you'll get better." The desperation in her voice was heart-wrenching to anyone that heard it.

"Nay, my daughter," Hikari whispered weakly. "I am afraid that I shall not be recovering from these wounds." A cough coursed through Hikari's body, and her blood spewed from her mouth.

"Please Momma," Sango begged. "I'm gonna be scared without you. So will Kohaku, and Daddy will miss you. Don't leave us alone."

"My dear, dear, Sango." Crooned Hikari. "I am sorry that I will have to leave you soon, but it is for the best. When I go, I want you to promise me something. I want you to swear on my fading life, and on my future grave, that you will find happiness someday."

Sango nodded tearfully and said listlessly, "I swear."

"I know that it may sound hard to believe, but you will find someone that is right for you just as I found your father many years ago. Seek him out, and always keep your heart open to him." By the end of this, Hikari's voice had begun to weaken until, at last, it was no higher than a whisper, and Sango had to strain to hear.

"Remember," She said faintly. "Keep your heart open..."

Sango choked down her bitter tears. "I will." Hikari smiled, and a look of peace overtook her face. As her spirit drifted away to the Underworld, her body grew stiller, until it finally ceased to stir.

When it hit Sango that her mother was actually dead, she could hold back the tears no longer. She fell to her knees, still clutching her mother's blood-soaked body. She threw back her head, and let loose a scream so filled with grief and revenge that it consumed the hearts of all those that remained alive.

At that moment, her aura seemed to burst, and time stopped. Everybody vanished but Sango and her mother's corpse. After a moment though, even her mother disappeared. And so Sango was once again alone.

**End of Chapter**

**Miko-of-Jades**: Thanks, I like this pace too! -

**DolphinBrat09**: Well, I'm glad I've helped convert you!

**Kiranta**: (rolls eyes) you weirdo. Thanks though!

**IcyGirl**: I will, don't worry about that!

**IcyGirl**: Thank you oh Holy One, for your forgiveness!

**The Na Kun**: Oops! Sorry! (ahem) Yes Sir! (re-salutes)

**xSakura Torax**: (grins) They do, don't they?

**Sorry I took so long! I was working on my poems.Read them!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Forgive Me: Chapter Ten**

Sango was just sitting there, with her mother's blood pooling around her. It clung to her clothing the way a babe would to its parent. The color fascinated her, and at the same time, it was nauseating. It reminded her of Inuyasha's demonic eyes; it was such a deep, ruby hue. When she finally tore her eyes away from the bloody puddle, Sango discovered that something was wrong.

Every single one of her dreams was exactly the same, each and every time. It always began on hill, and ended with herself surrounded by her mother's life blood. Everything was repeated exactly as the dream before it. She said the same words, took the same actions, and experienced the same heart-wrenching sorrow.

"So why am I still asleep?" Sango wondered. It was bad enough that she had to suffer through her mother's death for the hundredth time, now she had to live through yet another unfamiliar nightmare. As much as it peeved her to admit, her spirit might not be able to take much more of this torment.

Sango couldn't stand it any longer. She was sick and tired of waiting around for something to happen. She had to go out and find, as odd as it may have sounded, the remainder of her dream. Even if it was just another round of heartbreak, she just wanted to get it over with. She wasn't going to sit here forever; she had to face it in the true taijya fashion, head-on. Feeling a vast sensation of courage flood her body, Sango felt renewed once again as she stood up and surveyed her surroundings.

This was an empty place, made of nothingness like Kanna. It was a black, soulless void, save for her own. It would seem, that it didn't matter which direction she went in. She would see the same thing either way. So, Sango did the next best thing; she whirled around a few times, and began to walk in the direction she was facing.

Her progress seemed long, and tiresome, without any passage of time. Since Sango could not distinguish the differences in her current environment, she couldn't tell how far she had journeyed. But she had to keep going, so she willed her worn out feet to continue moving in their slow, monotonous rhythm towards an unknown destination. But just as she was beginning to despair of ever finding anything at all, something happened.

Just as before, her aura seemed to visibly overflow, and she was taken to another place. Only this time, Sango had no idea what kind of things that she would be seeing. She did not know this part of her dream, so she was not prepared for whatever laid ahead.

Later on, she would look back at this, and realize that even if she had known, she still could not have steeled her heart strong enough to withstand the beating it was about to receive.

The place that she had been taken to was, once again, a site of very familiar surroundings. She could probably walk the whole way blindfolded. What disturbed her however was that it was not, as with the previous part of her dream, a childhood setting. No, this was a place that she had only recently discovered. It was the clearing in which the Goshinboku tree had resided for years.

Normally, Sango would have been delighted to see it, but today, it seemed to be a bad omen of sorts. Something about the tree gave her a bad feeling, and it sent a shiver up her spine when she looked at it.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she had let her guard down and failed to notice the rustling noises that were heading in her direction. When they were almost at the clearing, Sango's head finally registered the fact that someone was coming. She quickly ducked down in the bushes, and waited.

What she saw, was the last thing that she had expected. The whole gang, Kagome, Miroku, Shippo, Kilala, herself and Inuyasha, were all walking solemnly into the clearing. Sango could see that something was wrong, and yet she could not tell exactly what it was.

She could see that the sparkle was gone from Kagome's eyes, Miroku was being serious for once, Shippo was trying not to cry, and Kilala was looking gloomy, with her pointy ears drooping sadly against her skull. She hesitated to look at her own face, but willed herself into chancing a glance at herself.

She had to fight not to gasp as she saw the pain and overwhelming sorrow that was hidden in her other self's eyes. For a moment, Sango could have sworn that there were tears in "her" eyes, but then the notion was dismissed. She would never cry, not in front of other people. Sango quickly looked away, before she found something in herself that she didn't like.

As much as she tried, she could not bring herself to examine Inuyasha's face. Despite the fact that she knew it was just a dream, Sango still had some lingering embarrassment issues when it came to him, both the dream and the reality version.

By now, the oddly somber group had reached the middle of the clearing. Inuyasha stepped forward towards the base of the God Tree, and called out to someone in its branches. Sango couldn't make out who he was calling, but she did not have to. She could see the person sitting on one of the weathered boughs. With long, inky black hair, and a priestess garb, Sango knew instantly that it was the infamous Kikyo.

Her heart raced as she tried to figure out what business the gang would have with the dead miko. She knew that it was not a good thing, for her other self was glaring at Kikyo with a hatred that rivaled that of the one she had for Naraku. What was even more peculiar was the unshed tears that brimmed inthe girl'sbrown eyes.

Sango was beginning to burn with curiosity, until Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak...

**End of Chapter**

**IcyGirl**- Thank you very much for the compliment

**Kiranta**- Alright? That's _it_! Well _fine_! Be that way!

**DolphinBrat09**- I'm sorry I made you almost cry.

**KramazDreamz**- Thanks for the review!

**Miko102**- What, are you going to look in the mirror?

**Miko-of-Jades**- I didn't copy it, but my inspiration was Nausicaa: Book Four.

**Psychotic Mortal**- Sorry again about that, and thank you.

**I am soo sorry that I took so long to post this chapter!  
I've been really, really sick ever since Wednesday night, and I didn't get a chance to update over the weekend!  
Anyways, sorry again, and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Forgive Me: Chapter Eleven**

"Kikyo. We've come." That was all that Inuyasha said. That was all that needed to be said. Those three words were enough to send waves of foreboding down Sango's back.

"Do you have them as we agreed upon?" This came from the dream Sango, who was currently fighting to maintain an emotionless facade. Contrary to her unruffled exterior, she spat out those words as if it were a sin to speak them.

Kikyo, on the other hand, was perfectly calm and collected. In fact, there was an air about her that seemed to exude smugness and fulfillment. That in fact, was what puzzled Sango the most.

Why would Kikyo, a dead woman that had never showed any emotion other than hatred and revenge, seem so content? Sango decided to listen carefully to the conversation at hand to find out more.

"Of course," said Kikyo in a mock sweet voice. "I am a woman of my word. Why? Don't you trust me taijya?" The dream Sango's only response was to clench her hands into tight fists and remain silent.

"I thought so," Kikyo stated haughtily. At this point, Kagome became fed up with Kikyo and took matters into her own hands.

"Gee," she snarled." I wonder how she could _ever_ hate the all-mighty Kikyo, who has never done _anything_ wrong in her entire life?" She clutched her chest over-dramatically. Of course, this was all said in the most demeaning voice that Kagome could muster.

That shut Kikyo up, and she turned instead to Inuyasha with the tiniest tinge of crimson lighting up her face. It was noticeable to all however, since it contrasted harshly with her pale cheeks of clay.

Kikyo very wisely decided to save face and change the subject. "Inuyasha, I believe that it is time to complete the arrangement." Inuyasha nodded reluctantly, and spun around slowly to face his comrades.

By then, Sango was almost falling out of her hiding place in the bushes trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. Not to mention, she was growing increasingly nervous with every minute of conversation that passed.

She could see Inuyasha walking towards the group in a slow way; almost as if he were trying to delay something that he knew would inevitably happen. "This can't be good," Sango worried to herself.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was looking distressingly cheerless. His ears were plastered against his silvery hair, and he seemed to have aged years more than the Inuyasha Sango knew and loved. He silently walked up to Kagome, and gave her a gentle hug. Usually, Sango would be feeling jealous of Kagome, but somehow, this didn't strike her as a lover's embrace, but more as a fond farewell.

Kagome was crying as she whispered something softly in Inuyasha's ear. He nodded sadly, and lowered his head. Her hand was shaking as she tearfully gave both of his ears a slight rub. She then proceeded to remove his rosary. When it came off, she kissed him on the forehead, and stepped back, the tears now gushing from her eyes.

Next, Inuyasha walked over to Miroku. The monk was not crying, but his eyes were suspiciously misty. They shook hand solemnly, and then looked at each other for only a moment before Miroku walked over to where Kagome stood. He put his arm on her shoulder comfortingly, and nodded to Inuyasha as if saying "Don't worry, I'll take care of her." What Sango noticed most though was that there was a set of prayer beads hanging out of the monk's pocket.

After Miroku, it was Hippo's turn. He was sitting on Kilala, and he was actually sniffling a little bit. Inuyasha crouched down, so that they could be at eye level. He had a fatherly look in his eyes as he chatted with the little kid. After a while, Shippo wiped his eyes and stood up straight. Apparently, he and Inuyasha had come to an understanding about something. Inuyasha then gave him an approving look before ruffling his hair fondly. Shippo ran over to the first two, and sat on Kagome's shoulder for comfort. Nobody really knew whether it was for Kagome's consolation or his own.

At last, the only one left was 'Sango'. Inuyasha took one look at her clenched fists and forced impassiveness, and encircled her waist in a fierce hug. 'Sango's body went rigid for a second before relaxing into his hold on her. She unconsciously clenched a fistful of bright red material in each of her hands. The two stayed like that for a long time, before reluctantly pulling away. When they did, 'Sango's face was stonier than ever. Inuyasha smiled sadly, and turned away from her.

As he headed towards Kikyo, he looked back one last time. He saw the sobbing teenager that had become one of his very first friends. In her arms was a small mistune that was trying so hard to be strong for the dearest people in his life. Beside the pair was a perverted but well-meaning monk that looked as if he didn't know what to do, or how to help the people he cherished. And finally, he saw a brokenhearted fighter that was struggling to conceal her emotions, just as he himself had done all of his life.

Mournfully, he spun away from the best things that had ever happened to him, and turned towards the person that was taking all of that away. It was never going to be the same with them anymore. Inuyasha would still cherish the time that they had spent together, but he couldn't love her like he did back then. How could he love someone that had the heart to take away the one thing that made him happy?

If he were truly dear to her, then she would not have had the stomach to do this. To take him away from the only friends he had ever known. If he hadn't made that promise to her, Inuyasha would never have even considered her proposition. He would never have agreed...

In the end though, he had to accept her offer. So what if he had to go with her to hell? She held the rest of the jewel shards, and she was willing to give them over to Kagome if he went with her. With Naraku out of the way, Inuyasha didn't have to worry about protecting Kagome anymore. He trusted that Miroku and Sango could handle anything that would threaten her.

And besides, there was no way that he was going to hurt Kikyo just to retrieve the shaken shards. He owed a lot to her, and he wasn't going to throw all that away for his own personal gain. So this was really the only option that he had. It sucked, but that's the way that life goes. Inuyasha sighed, and kept walked towards Kikyo. The smell of Death and Sorrow filled his nose the closer he came to her. It was nauseating, but he tried not to let it show.

"Hand them over Kikyo." Inuyasha said in a quiet but firm voice. Kikyo complied, and went over to Kagome, who immediately snatched the jewel fragments away from her, and then gave Kikyo the benefit of her fiercest scowl. It didn't faze Kikyo a bit though, and she merely walked back to Inuyasha's side.

Kagome took out the rest of the shards that were fused together into one. She picked up the five pieces she had just received, and tenderly placed them on the same palm. She focused on the pile, and after two seconds there was a blinding flash of light. When it dimmed, the whole shikon jewel lay harmlessly in the center of Kagome's hand.

She took that jewel and put it in her pocket. Kagome couldn't bear to make a wish on it for the fear that she would end up tainting it. Not to mention, she wanted to keep the jewel so that she could continue to come to the feudal era. So instead, she decided she would guard it just as Kikyo had fifty years before. It may be harder that way, but Kagome would manage as long as she had her friends there to help her.

She sighed, and looked around at her best friends. They would all miss him, but secretly, Kagome knew that Sango would mourn for Inuyasha the most. It was the sad, but terrible truth. With that thought echoing in her mind, she turned towards Inuyasha and gave him a dejected smile. As for Kikyo, Kagome steadfastly ignored her. There was no way that she could eve respect this dead embodiment of the former Shikon Jewel guardian, no matter how kind and righteous she had been when she was alive.

Inuyasha read Kagome's expressions as they flew across her face, and could tell exactly what she was thinking about. He knew that she was afraid to wish on the jewel. Hell, he would be too. There was so much at stake that was riding on that one request. He could also tell that she was contemplating her hatred of Kikyo. That was entirely understandable. Anybody that had not known her when she was alive could not think of her as a nice person. How could they? They were not constantly reminded of her life, they could only see her actions in death. Inuyasha knew this, and could understand Kagome's loathing of her. But now, it was time to go...

He faced Kikyo one last time, and nodded his assent. She in turn smiled maliciously, and her eyes began to gleam in anticipation of what was to come. She took him by the hand, and closed her eyes in concentration.

All at once, the real Sango realized exactly what it was that Inuyasha was here for. Everything made sense now, Kikyo, the crying, everything! She stood up to reveal herself, but there was something holding her back. Sango looked beside her. She saw that same little girl that she had seen in the first part of her disturbing dream.

Her hand was held out in front of Sango, and it was somehow keeping her from moving from this spot. The girl's head turned, and her eyes were so devoid of any emotion other than sorrow that it was excruciating to look at them. She opened her mouth, and out of nowhere said, "Do not interfere." Now the little girl posed no threat to Sango, but somehow, she felt compelled to obey her. Still, it was so hard to watch as the man she loved with all of her heart went on to hell with a dead woman she now despised.

In the clearing, 'Sango' was having a hard time of it herself. She promised herself that she wasn't going to cry out, but she couldn't help it. A scream of unearthly sorrow ripped past her throat and pierced the air.

Whatever had been going through Inuyasha's mind flew out the window. He opened his eyes to see the strong woman that he had admired so much sobbing pitifully on the ground. 'Sango felt his eyes on her and managed to lift her head up. She whispered regretfully, "I wish I had gotten the chance to tell you how much I loved you."

Those were the last words he ever heard.

**End of Chapter**

**IcyGirl**-Thanks, I wanted it to be suspenseful.

**Miko102**- You are, dum-dum!

**Miko-of-Jades**- Only the actual characters that hate her will bash Kikyo.

**Ken Nuhfer**- Yeah, me too.

**Kiranta**- No! I'll do anything! I'm sorry! kisses Kiranta's boots

**DolphinBrat09**- Really? Whew! I feel much better!


	12. Chapter 12

**Forgive Me: Chapter 12**

Sango woke up with a start in the midst of an unnaturally silent camp. The only thing that greeted her was a frigid wind that seemed to glide into her skin and burrow into her very soul. Her breath caught in her throat for a second, before she let it out in the form of a weary sigh. Her body shivered, both from the cold and from the after-effects of the nightmare. She welcomed the feeling though, for it assured her that she was in fact awake.

Silently, she stood up from her resting place, and tip-toed carefully around the bodies of her companions that were sprawled around the ground in a careless manner. Sango paused for a minute as she allowed her envy of their peaceful sleep to envelope her like a warm blanket protecting her from the outside world.

For a moment, just a moment, she almost felt at peace. But it soon passed, and Sango was once again standing at the outskirts of the clearing, with an icy wind blowing harshly in her face.

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What Sango didn't realize was that she was not the only one being examined, the same way she was gazing at her slumbering comrades. Her observer went unnoticed as he lounged in the bough of a nearby tree. He stared at her unblinkingly, until the night air blew locks of silver hair into his face, breaking the spell she had unknowingly cast on him.

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Since she was already up, Sango decided that it would be best if she remained that way. However, her thoughts were still completely muddled, compliments of her nightmare. She needed some time to sort things out, or else she would not be able to properly focus on anything. So, in true female fashion, she decided to take a bath.

Sango knew exactly where to find a hot spring, but first, she needed a few supplies. As delicately as a cat, she crept over to the yellow monstrosity Kagome called a backpack. Quickly, so she wouldn't wake anybody up, she gathered the items that she had always seen Kagome use and was on her way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sango had never been happier to see water in her whole life. The way she figured it, if she took the time to relax for a change, then all of the thoughts that were scattered in her mind would fall neatly into place. And what better way to do that then to soak in a wonderful spring of hot water?

Eager to proceed, she hastily stripped away first her kimono, and then her taijya's outfit. As she tested the water with her toes, she felt her body begin to unwind, and her muscles became less tense for the first time tonight. Much more at ease now, Sango let out a breath that she was not aware she had been holding.

Once she determined that the water was at just the right temperature, she began to lower her body slowly into the spring. As Sango became more and more submerged in the hot spring, she felt as if the calmness of the water was being transferred into her consciousness. After the heat of the water had seeped into every pore of her body, Sango gave a sigh that expressed all of the delight she was feeling at the moment. She dove gleefully beneath the surface, and was fully embraced by the peace that permeated the water in this spring. She was in heaven.

When she had finished relaxing, Sango began to pamper herself with the soaps and hair oils that Kagome had brought from her time. The faint scents of Ajisai and Tsutsugi were delightfully soothing, and her hair felt like strands of the finest silk. It always amazed her how well the oils worked. Sometimes, she even caught herself longing to use them when Kagome was in her era.

Sango stretched languidly, as the warmth of the hot-spring was beginning to make her feel just the tiniest bit drowsy. As she leaned back into the bed of oddly soft rocks that she was nestled in, Sango allowed her thoughts to drift back towards the nightmare she had just experienced.

"I don't get it!" Sango thought exasperated. "I've had the same dream over and over ever since I could remember them, so why was this one different? What has changed?"

She thought about this long and hard before the answer came to her with a sudden rush of understanding. "It's him!" she exclaimed out loud as she bolted up from her seat. She clapped a hand over her mouth self-consciously and checked her surroundings nervously for any signs that someone had heard her foolish outburst. When she detected no movement, Sango relaxed and settled back down into the rock bed.

This time, Sango made sure that she kept her thoughts silent, and in her head. "That's what's changed," she told herself. "I fell in love with Inuyasha! That just _has _to be why my dream has changed!"

In her mind, she congratulated herself for figuring it out, but her feelings of pride were short-lived. Sadly, Sango realized that this meant her nightmares would now bring even more emotional pain and heartbreak than ever. Suddenly, she wasn't in the mood for a tranquil soak in the hot springs.

Angry with herself for ruining one of her rare moments of serenity, Sango stood abruptly up from her seat. She got dressed rapidly, with a scowl once again etched into her lovely face.

In fact, Sango was so eager to leave the spring that she unceremoniously stuffed Kagome's things into the bag she had brought them in, with no thought as to whether they would be broken in her haste.

As she left the clearing, a piece of paper floated to the ground unnoticed by the fuming slayer. When Sango was no longer visible from the hot spring, a young man stepped into the clearing seemingly out of nowhere, and picked it up out of curiosity. He smiled in wonder as he saw what exactly the paper contained. Then, he gently folded it up and tucked it into the folds of his haori.

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Morning came not long after that, and the members of the shard hunting gang began to arise from their peaceful slumber. What they found when they finally got up from their sleeping arrangements they discovered something that was a bit on the odd side of reality.

Sango was cooking breakfast, but that wasn't what was unusual. The fact that she was muttering angrily to her self, waving her hands wildly and paying absolutely no attention to the outside world was, however.

Because of this fact, the only one stupid enough to risk approaching her was Inuyasha, who apparently wasn't that observant. Miroku, Kagome and Shippo entertained the thought of warning the poor hanyou of what would happen if he disturbed Sango. But then they all shared a secret look that doomed him to figuring things out the hard way.

Meanwhile, the oh-so-oblivious Inuyasha was making his way towards Sango. He wasn't stupid; he could see that she was off in her own little world. Right now though, he was really hungry, so he decided to take a chance. "If I play things just right, I might just get some food without a slap," Inuyasha hoped.

He slowly walked up to Sango, treading lightly so he wouldn't disturb her, and stopped just before her. He hesitated a moment before clearing his throat softly. The reaction that he got was not exactly what he was expecting: Instead of looking up silently like a sane and normal person, Sango kept her head down and began chewing him out, while she was still stirring the pot of boiling stew.

"WHAT IS IT! CAN'T A PERSON MAKE BREAKFAST IN PEACE WITHOUT PEOPLE NAGGING HER EVERY GODDAMN THREE SECONDS! IT'LL BE DONE WHEN I SAY SO, AND NOT...before."

It was at the end of this little speech that Sango happened to look up and see exactly whom she was yelling at. When she recognized Inuyasha, the words that had been flowing so freely before now stuck uncomfortably in her throat.

Seeing him standing over her like that was so familiar that it was frightening. All at once, thoughts of her recent nightmare flooded back into her mind, and she gasped in pain as she clutched her head between her knees. There were so many thoughts pushing to be remembered that it was overwhelming her, and the spoon she had been using dropped into the pot with a thunk.

Momentarily forgetting about his hunger, Inuyasha knelt down beside Sango and placed one of his arms on each shoulder and turned her body so that she was facing him. He was unaware of the immensely concerned look that showed on his face.

"Sango, what's wrong?" he crooned in a voice so gentle that it startled the bystanders in the clearing that had remained rooted to their spots. None of them had ever heard Inuyasha speak with such a tender tone before.

It seemed to have a positive effect on Sango though, for her pain began to subside as the sound of his voice lowered her slowly back down to Earth. When she opened her eyes once more, she found herself wrapped in Inuyasha's arms. Sango fought back a blush at this, but she failed to control herself when she noticed the deep-rooted concern that was displayed openly in his enchanting eyes.

It touched her that he would be so worried about her well-being, and it somehow made Sango feel a little bit better about her dreams. So what if they were scary as hell? As long as she had Inuyasha here, she would find a way to get around it and survive.

This thought comforted Sango slightly, but her vision was starting to blur. The last thing she saw before her world began to spin into darkness was the sight of Inuyasha's silvery hair framing his troubled eyes in a way that took her breath away.

**End of Chapter**

A/N: Ajisai- Hydrangea Tsutsugi- Azalia

**TheAngelsShadow**- I like to keep my readers guessing!

**Lil mutt face girl**- Now, now... no name calling!

**Miko-of-Jades**- Ya know... I think you're one of my favorite reviewers!

**Dudei'mlikesobus**- Well, now you know!

**Spirit of Rain**- Thank you that means a lot to me.


	13. Chapter 13

**Forgive Me: Chapter 13**

The first thing Sango saw when she finally woke up was an empty house. Well, an _almost _empty one. Sitting in the corner of the hut was Inuyasha. His arms were crossed in front of him in their usual position, and one hand rested lovingly on the Tetsusaiga's sheath.

At first, Sango held her breath, in case he noticed her, but she relaxed when she saw that he was asleep. She spent several minutes watching the rise and fall of his chest with rapt attention, before she realized what she was doing, and stopped.

Shaking her head at her foolish actions, Sango stood up without making a sound. Inuyasha's ears twitched slightly, but he did not wake. She tip-toed cautiously over to the entrance, and stopped just before it, still inside. She pulled back the blanket covering the door, and peered warily outside.

"You're not supposed to be up you know"

Sango practically jumped at the sound of a person's voice. She spun around to see who it had come from, and she was instinctively throwing a wild punch before she had0 even identified her supposed "attacker". By the time she registered the fact that it was only Inuyasha, it was too late to stop her momentum. Luckily though, Inuyasha made use of his demonic reflexes, and ducked just before Sango's blind swing cut through the air where his face once was.

"Hey!" he protested, "what the hell was that for!"

He gave Sango a pouting look very similar to Shippo's right after he got hit in the head, courtesy of Inuyasha. This of course, sent Sango into a fit of giggles, because she could picture a childlike version of Inuyasha making that exact same face. However, all this did to the adult Inuyasha was made him question Sango's sanity. He sighed however, and returned to his previous corner.

With a smile lingering on her face, Sango walked over to Inuyasha, and sat down beside him casually. Although she looked relaxed on the outside, her heart was beating more wildly than it would in the midst of a battle.

Inuyasha was oblivious as to what he was doing to Sango, and merely leaned wearily against the wall. He closed his eyes as well, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and go to bed. However, he found himself unconsciously inhaling Sango's intoxicating scent. She was so close, that it overwhelmed all of the other smells in the vicinity, which was just fine by him.

By then, he was so out of it that the sound of Sango's voice startled him (though he didn't show it) a little bit. "So, how is it that you were dragged into being my nurse for the night?" she inquired innocently. But Inuyasha could hear the humorous quality in her question, and smiled ever so slightly in response. It vanished before Sango could detect it though.

"As usual, it was all Kagome's fault," Inuyasha complained grouchily. "She said that since I was used staying up anyways, that it wouldn't be as much of an inconvenience for me. And what does everyone else do? Why, they chime in saying that it is a great idea. But do they ask me if I want to do it?" he griped. "Noooo."

Sango smirked a bit at that comment, and decided she might as well get some fun out of this. Poor Inuyasha, with his eyes closed, didn't see her grin that was almost sinister in appearance. If someone had walked in right now, they would have thought the two where mortal enemies. But all you had to do was look at the way her eyes sparkled with humor, and you could tell that she meant no harm. Putting on an exaggeration of the livid face Kagome had developed over the years, Sango set out to drive fear into the half-demon's heart.

"So what, you're saying that you didn't want to be anywhere near me? You hate me now, is that it?" she yelled with a fake tone of anger in her voice. As she did so, she glowered with all of the pretend rage she could muster.

And the results were amazing. She had never seen a half-demon jump so high out of fright in her life! Sango fought back a giggle, as it would have spoiled the little game she was playing with the poor half-demon. Inuyasha started to scowl at her for scaring him when he was so close to going back to sleep. But one look at her irritated expression, and any protest he was going to voice was immediately silenced.

Out of dread for what Sango was going to do for him, he scrambled to think of something to say in his defense. "Of course not, I was..umm.. just kidding! Yea, that's it! Just kidding!" Sango could tell that he was truly scared, and she could hold her mirth in no longer. Her body began to shake uncontrollably from her silent laughter.

In the meantime, Inuyasha was still huddled in the corner with his eyes squeezed shut. After a while though, he mustered the courage to open one eyelid until he could barely see through a tiny crack. When he saw the slayer looking so amused, he knew instantly that he had been duped.

His face turned a flaming hue of red as soon as he realized that he had been tricked into making a mockery of his tough guy act, as well as destroying a large portion of his pride. But his embarrassment gave way to anger after the shock of having been fooled had worn off.

His face contorted with rage, he opened his mouth to chew Sango out. He never got the chance though, for she immediately clamped her hand over his mouth. Somehow, she managed to conceal her flush of embarrassment at the thoughts that were racing through her head when she felt his lips plastered into the palm of her hand.

Inuyasha, with an uncharacteristic twinkle of amusement in his eyes, took advantage of Sango's preoccupation, and decided to exact his revenge on the devious taijya. With only the slightest hesitation, Inuyasha stuck out his tongue and slobbered all over the offending appendage.

Sango immediately yanked her hand away, and Inuyasha took tremendous pleasure and satisfaction in the look of horrified disgust that became apparent in her face.

"Ewww!" she said as she frantically wiped her drenched hand. Having regained her anger, she proceeded to scold the impudent half-demon.

Inuyasha!" Sango sputtered. "What did you do _that _for?"

His only response was to lick his lips slowly in a mock suggestive manner, which caused a heavy display of embarrassment to show on her cheeks in the form of a beet red blush.

Inuyasha decided to take pity on the poor woman, and ceased his little charade of arousal. The minute he did so, Sango's manner visibly relaxed, and she let out a muted sigh of relief that Inuyasha heard nonetheless.

For some reason, he felt the need to be accepted by her, and for her to feel comfortable around him. This sensation was new to him, and he wasn't quite sure how he should go about dealing with it. After some time, he decided that he should set up a little experiment to test these feelings.

Even as he looked over to where Sango was standing, and even as he felt a subtle warmth nestle into his heart, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how he was going to do that...

**End of Chapter**

**Miko102**- The one and only...

**Buyo the cat**- Well, I'm glad you liked it

**AddictedtoInuyashaFics**- I love the story too!

**DolphinBrat09**- That's good, that's what I want it to do.

**Icygirl2**- Good guessing. And thanks, I'm not used to writing that much angst.

**The Daughter of the Night**- We shall see. We shall see...

**Lil mutt face grl**- That's alright, I forgive you.

**Buyo the cat**- Close, but no cigar...

**Distant Luver- **Don't worry, I know that perfectly well. D

**I am sooo sorry for keep you guys waiting, but my Internet connection was down for a while. And on top of that, I had a bout of writer's block as well. **

**I hope you enjoyed my chapter! (Even though it's kind of short)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Forgive Me: Chapter 14 (Revised)**

Now that Inuyasha had calmed down, Sango was beginning to feel a little bit more relaxed. Ever since her new dream, she had been feeling a bit more tense and alert than usual. But Inuyasha's scent made her forget all of her worries, and she soon found herself drifting off to sleep. Half-heartedly, she tried to dispel her weariness, but her body was firm in its desire for rest. Finally, she gave in and allowed sleep to claim her.

Inuyasha, taking note of the fact that the taijya was snoring slightly, silently picked her up off the floor where she was laying, and carried her over to her cot in the corner. Sango nuzzled unconsciously burrowed herself into Inuyasha's chest, and let out a small whimper of peace, much as a small child would. This brought the barest hint of a smile on his face and the unlabeled warm feeling in his chest expanded even more.

When he set Sango down ever so gently, she let a tiny whine at the loss of warmth escape her lips, and her body instinctively curled around itself because of the chilling wind that snaked into the room through the cracks in the doorway. Inuyasha, frowning at her discomfort for reasons unknown to him, scanned the room for any blankets which might have been left behind.

He could not find one, so he reluctantly began to untie his jacket and tuck it in snugly around Sango's sleeping form. Once he was satisfied that she would be comfortable enough, he sat down beside her cot and leaned against the wall, grateful to finally get some rest. Like Sango, he too battled with slumber. But this was one battle that he couldn't win, and soon, his eyes were tightly shut.

Inuyasha woke up a few hours later, and the sun was only just beginning to peek over the edge of the horizon; its morning hues sprinkled sparsely across the land. At first, he was a little dazed about why he was sitting on the floor instead of in his normal post outside in a tree branch. His awareness level slowly began to increase, and his memories of the events that had occurred last night slowly returned to him.

As he stood up to stretch out his legs (they had fallen asleep during the night, and hewanted to getrid of the numbness in his limbs), he happened to glance over to where Sango was sleeping.

He expected her to be napping peacefully on her cot, but he could not have been further from the truth. She was actually thrashing furiously, and sweat seemed to drip off of her entire body. Another peculiar thing that Inuyasha noticed was that Sango was weeping, and she seeming to be calling out to someone repeatedly in her sleep, though it was far enough under her breath that Inuyasha couldn't quite catch who she was calling for.

Regardless of all this, Inuyasha's instinctive course of action was to call for Kaede. He was half-way out the door before he stopped himself. "Sango wouldn't want to be seen like this," he thought to himself. "She is a proud woman, and it would only embarrass her to have Kaede's assistance. To her, it is probably a weakness, and she is the type of person that _hates _weaknesses." Although he was surprised at his sudden understanding of Sango's character, he was determined to focus on the important matter at hand: helping Sango.

He quickly crossed back over to her side of the room, and removed his jacket from her body. Then, he grabbed a piece of cloth off of one of the shelves in the room, and began wiping the sweat off of her brow. Softly, he began calling Sango's name, in the hopes that it might shake her out of whatever dream she had been having. Inuyasha was no stranger to nightmares, and he knew that it could be a bit disorienting if you were brought abruptly out of a night terror.

As it was, what he was doing was beginning to take effect. Sango had calmed down slightly, and she was no longer crying out or sweating. Gradually, all that was left of her disturbing dream was her tears, and the thrashing had subsided to nothing but mild tremors that would occasionally run through her body.

Little by little, Sango began to stir into consciousness. Soon, she opened her eyes; only to find that they were blurred by tears. She was about to wipe them off, when someone began talking to her.

"Sango…" she heard a soft voice say. "Wake up…"

Obediently, she blinked the tears out of her eyes, and opened them fully. When she saw Inuyasha's amber orbs gazing down upon her, she immediately broke down again in relief that her nightmare had not been a reality. Still sniffling, she embraced the hanyou (who was, by now, completely mystified by her behavior) fiercely.

Inuyasha awkwardly patted her back, but found he was enjoying the hug much more than he should be. Shaking off his feelings of happiness, he opened his mouth to speak to the demon slayer.

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" he blurted out bluntly. Sango smiled at his crude choice of words, but was not offended. She knew that he was only concerned, and had every right to be curious. Still, she did not relish that idea of having to reveal something this personal to him. In a way though, she was glad to tell him, because she secretly thought that it would bring them closer together.

Fighting down a blush at her thoughts, she sighed, and built up the courage to tell him something that she had never, _ever _told anyone; not even Kagome, her closest friend. Once she started "spilling her guts", as said best friend would say, Sango found it easier to describe her nightmares than she thought it would be.

She felt as if each word she uttered gave her an infinite amount of relief, and all of the built up sorrow and pain she had towards her mother's death began to drain slowly out of her soul. However, she would _not _tell him about the second, more recent, part of her dreams, as it involved a secret that she was not ready to reveal to anyone, least of all the object of her affections.

After all, how were you supposed to tell the person that you had loved and adored since forever (even when your best friend loved and adored him as well) that you had nightmares about him dying and going to hell with another woman, when he didn't have the slightest idea that you had any attraction whatsoever towards him? Simple: you don't.

By this time, Sango had finished telling her story, and the room had gone eerily silent. She waited anxiously to see what Inuyasha would do. Would he scorn her as weak? Laugh in her face for caring so much? Or would he just turn his back on her, and walk away? The tension in her mounted with every possibility that flashed through her mind.

After a while Inuyasha looked as thought he had finished processing all of what she had said to him. He turned to face her, and Sango could not identify the look in his stunning orbs, but she paid rapt attention to him when he opened his mouth and asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

When she heard him speak, Sango breathed the tiniest sigh of relief at the fact that his words were not mocking, and his tone of voice contained only sympathy. Then, she struggled to find the right words to express her reasoning to him. This was very important to her, because she wanted him to understand this side of her that he had rarely seen.

"Well," she paused, "I guess I felt like I had to keep up this image of a strong person. When my...when my mother was killed, I felt like I had let her die. I convinced myself that if I had worked a little harder, been a little stronger, then I could have fought by her side and protected her, and she might still be here today."

At this point in time, tears pooled unnoticed by Sango into her brown eyes, and they began slipping down her face. She harshly wiped them off her face, but the tell-tale streaks remained. Still, she went on:

"That front became a habit, and now, it has become a way of life. It is so hard for me to break, even though I want to!" Her voice had raised a few octaves by the end of her speech, and she finally growled loudly out of frustration.

Inuyasha, not knowing what else to do, hesitated only a little bit before encircling his arms around her strong body, and pulling her towards him. He didn't know what to say, so he just stayed silent, something which Sango was grateful for. This way, she could just lie there, and bask in the feelings of utter bliss that he created in her. Without realizing it, Sango had become even more smitten with Inuyasha than she was before. She was so deeply in love with this wonderful hanyou, that there was no way to turn back now.

"Not that I wanted to anyway," she admitted wryly to herself. Her feelings for Inuyasha made her feel so joyous and happy, and she never wanted this moment to end. But at the same time, Sango was a little frightened as well when she thought of how this was going to affect her life.

Inuyasha could sense her body suddenly tensing, and pulled her even closer to him to keep her from getting up. Because, truth be told, he didn't want this moment to stop just yet. He hadn't felt this much at ease since Kikyo was alive, and he missed the feeling. He began stroking her hair softly, and rocking her back and forth as he would a child. It must have worked, because he could feel Sango's muscles relax, and meld with his body. Inuyasha was surprised at how delicate she felt; he would have thought that she would feel muscular and strong, but all he felt was how perfectly their bodies fitted together, like two halves forming a whole.

Now normally, he wouldn't have noticed these details, but Sango's scent was tantalizing him so much, that it created an almost drunken stupor. At the moment though, he didn't give a damn. All he wanted to do was to drink in the intoxicating smell that belonged to a certain demon slayer which was currently snoring quietly in his arms.

"Wait a minute... snoring?" he thought. And sure enough, when Inuyasha looked down, he found that Sango was fast asleep once again. "Man, how much is she gonna sleep?" he thought incredulously. But even as he was thinking that, he was already drifting off to sleep, with Sango in his arms.

**End of Chapter**

**DolphinBrat09- **(sniff) I feel so proud… (And thanks for your sympathy)

**Buyo the cat- **Inuyasha never said he was in love with Sango, so there! P

**Icygirl2- **Don't worry, I would never leave a story unfinished

**Lil mutt face grl-** (stuttering) Y-y-yes master… (Bows low and runs away)

**TaiYoukai132- **Wow, I had no idea my work was so good! (blushes modestly)

**DolphinBrat09-** What is it with everybody complimenting me today? Not that I mind...

**Kiyana Va Sala-** Right now, I want to focus on the emotional part of their relationship. Later on, I will introduce the playful side, and _Inuyasha_ _will have his revenge_!

**Soceress-fox-** Will do Ms. Fox, will do...

**Dark-Magic67-** They _are _alike, but not many InuKag fans will admit that, because they know that it makes them a better couple!

**Snoop doggie di-** DUDE! OKAY!

**Kilala-kat-ex-** YES MA'AM!

**Thank you to all of my readers! Just so you know, this is my last chapter for a long time, because I will be going on vacation to Utah and Canada soon. By the way, in case you were wondering, all I really did was take what was going to be Chapter 15, and add it on to Chapter 14!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Forgive Me: Chapter 15**

While Sango and Inuyasha continued to blissfully sleep, everyone else began to wake up. Kaede was the first to awaken, and she began cooking breakfast, as well as brewing a fresh batch of hot, herbal tea for Sango to drink.

Miroku was the next to stir, but he was too lazy to help Kaede, so he went outside and "meditated" until he was sure the meal was ready. In reality, he was peeking under his squinted eyelids, hoping to catch a glimpse of an unsuspecting lady.

Kagome and Shippo were the last ones to wake up, but they both kept their eyes shut, unwilling to let go of the sleep-induced haze they were feeling. Kagome was lying on her side, and Shippo was curled up against her stomach like a cat, so they were both extremely comfortable, and unwilling to get up. Eventually, it was the smell of food that finally convinced them to drag themselves out of Kagome's sleeping bag.

Once they all gathered around the low table to eat, they managed to have a pleasant meal filled with quiet chatter. At times, they would lapse into silence, but it was never an uncomfortable one. It wasn't until after they had cleaned up that they realized they had forgotten about something.

"Oops," Shippo sweat dropped. "We didn't save any food Inuyasha." Fearfully, he added." You _know_ how cranky he gets when he doesn't get food…"

"It's okay Shippo," Kagome reassured. "I still have one more bowl of Ramen left in my knapsack, we'll feed him that."

Relieved, he said, "That'll make _him_ happy, but what about Sango?"

Shippo was always worried about Sango, mostly because she was always nice to him when she didn't have to be, like that one time when Inuyasha wanted to leave him behind at Kaede's place. Sango had wheedled and threatened and reasoned with him until he finally gave up, and stalked away muttering to himself about "damned annoying runts with their woman protectors". Shippo did mind though, because he had been so happy that he had gotten to go.

Since then, he had always looked up to her and idolized her. It wasn't the same way he idolized Kagome: she was his "makes me feel safe" figure in life. But Sango, she was his "coolest older sister in the whole world that I want to be like when I grow up" figure.

Sometimes, when nobody was watching him, he would sneak off to find Sango, in the hopes that she was honing her taijya skills. If she was, he would sit up in the trees and watch her as she fought imaginary demons. She made it look so easy and graceful when she did it, but he could never duplicate her moves, no matter how hard he concentrated, or how long he practiced.

It made him feel frustrated sometimes, but he kept at it in the hopes that he would one day be able to repay everyone, Inuyasha, Kaede, Miroku, and Sango, for all that they had done for him. Shippo wanted to fight side by side with each of them, and to have them count on him to watch their backs.

But most of all, he wanted them to be able to trust that he could save their lives, and that he wouldn't just cower in the shadows like he normally did. Until that day though, all he could do was bide his time in the very shadows he hated, helping at every chance he could manage, even if it was only in the barest possible way.

Sighing softly, he refocused his eyes and thoughts back onto Kaede. He must have been out of it for a while though, because she was in the middle of saying something, and all he could catch was: "…shall not go hungry."

Confused, he said, "Huh? Sorry, I must have heard something outside… what were you saying?" Just for good measure, he gave her his most endearing smile.

It must have worked, for she merely repeated herself patiently. "I said: 'Do not worry child. I have set aside some food and tea for Sango, she shall not go hungry.'" She paused for a moment before adding, "In fact, I am going to take them to her right now."

"Here Kaede, let _me _take her breakfast over to her," Kagome offered.

"Are ye sure child?" Kaede asked for the sake of being polite. She was actually quite eager to let the young miko give Sango her meal. She had no problems admitting to herself that she was getting older, and she knew that her body grew more tired with each passing year.

In a few years, if she even managed to live that long without a demon finishing her off, she would leave this world. That fact in itself didn't bother her so much, it was the thought that she would leave her village without a guardian that frightened. Inuyasha would be there to fight off the demons of course, but he wouldn't be around all of the time.

And what if there was an outbreak of sickness? The nearest village was much too far away to be of any help. By the time someone had reached the miko there, there would be little that she could do. This was the main thing that was keeping her from dying: she couldn't leave her village to fend for itself. They were like the children she would never have, and she would not allow them to be lost. At that moment, Kaede vowed that she would not leave this realm of living until she had found a replacement for her.

Realizing that Kagome was looking at her expectantly, she shook her head as if to rid herself of such morbid thoughts and said, "I can take it if ye do not wish to."

Satisfied, Kagome replied, "No Kaede, I can do it." With that, it was agreed that Kagome would take Sango and Inuyasha their food.

_Five minutes later_

Kagome walked slowly, focusing very hard on not dropping any of the food. Sango's food was in her hands, while Inuyasha's Ramen bowl and Sango's were resting precariously on her forearms, which were held tightly together.

When she had finally made it to the hut that Sango was in, tiny beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead, and she was biting her lip in concentration. As she reached the doorway she set down all of the food on the ground, and sighed with relief as she stretched her arms at being able to move them freely once again.

Rubbing her neck absently, she bent over to pick up the cup of tea, deciding that Sango would prefer to have that first. Being carefully to avoid the food on the ground, she stepped into the threshold of the hut. What she saw shocked her so much, that she almost dropped the entire cup of tea in her surprise.

Kagome stared with her mouth open in complete shock. There, on the floor, were Inuyasha and Sango. But that wasn't even the most shocking part: _they were lying in each other's arms! _

Blinking twice to make sure that it was not just her weary eyes playing tricks on her and that the sight she was seeing was real; Kagome couldn't help but feel just the slightest pang of jealousy. It wasn't that she still wanted Inuyasha, she just wanted _someone_ to hold her like that: as if she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

A wave of loneliness swept over her as she stared at her two friends. Somehow, they had managed to wind up lying down, and they seemed to enjoy their position a lot. Inuyasha was leaning against the far wall, with his head tilted far enough forward that nose brushed the top of Sango's head. Said girl was currently sprawled across his chest with one arm snaking around his chest, and the other one lay loosely at her side.

They looked so sweet and at peace, that Kagome did not have the heart to wake them up. In all of the time that she had known Inuyasha, she had never _once_ seen him this at ease with someone. It seemed too cruel to ruin the moment.

"Breakfast can wait a few more hours," Kagome thought decidedly. "For now, I'll let them rest." And with that, she turned and walked away, trying to ignore the anguish that filled her heart at the thought of never being held by the one she loved.

**End of Chapter**

**Clueless Alee- **Oh don't worry about that, I added some more writing onto Chapter 14. (If you haven't read it, you should; it's an important part)

**Spoiled Martian- **(Hangs head) I'm sorry… I won't ever do it again… (Brightens) But! I added onto Chapter 14, so it wasn't like it was a complete waste of your time! D

**Spoiled Martian- **I'm going to get around to fixing those mistakes (I'm hopefully going to get a beta reader soon), but thanks for mentioning it anyways. I like it when people correct me on my writing; it improves the story a lot.

**DolphinBrat09- **Well I'm glad _somebody _read the addition! I wasn't sure whether anybody would notice it…

**MikeDirntRocks90- **Thanks, I'm trying my best.

**Sango and Miroku 4 life- **I find it _very _amusing that you would happen to pick that name, and yet you still enjoyed this particular story... (Snickers quietly) you _do_ know what my pairing is right?

**Thank you to all of my readers that have put up with my recent tardiness in updating. I know firsthand how frustrating it is to absolutely love a story, and the author never updates. I will try to find time in my busy schedule for you, and I hope that the quality of my work is not affected by this. **

**Once again, thank you _so _much for being patient people!**


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